


Swedish Hellscape

by Five_star_hellhole



Category: Cassandra Palmer Series - Karen Chance
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-15
Updated: 2018-02-15
Packaged: 2019-03-19 02:33:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13695051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Five_star_hellhole/pseuds/Five_star_hellhole
Summary: Pritkin meets his match





	Swedish Hellscape

**Author's Note:**

  * For [IsleofSolitude](https://archiveofourown.org/users/IsleofSolitude/gifts).



Rage filled him. Unending uncontrollable rage.

Pritkin's hand tightened on the minuscule tool in his fist, the metal edges digging into his palm. He had gotten so much better at controlling his anger, he would never be a pacifistic, he knew this. But he had thought he had made more progress than this. His teeth ground against each other in frustration, there was no holding back this fury and he wasn't going to try.

With that thought he swung his foot forward and started kicking the dilapidated tv stand he had purchased that morning on a run into Ikea with Cassie. She had wanted something for their room so they could, quote "snuggle up and be distracted". While not a fan of TV, he was more than happy to think how he could benefit from his demigoddess of chaos wrapped up with him. Alone. In a bed. The possibilities had seemed endless. That was until he realized a "quick run" into ikea was more a death march through Sweden Hell. Hours passed, time appeared to slow, he had been sure he would never be graced with the sight of the sun again by the time she finally found what she wanted. He had breathed a sigh of relief at that point, pulling the huge box off the shelf and rapidly began pushing the cart towards the registers lest she get distracted and stayed longer. He steadfast ignored the sniggering from his cute blonde trailing behind him as he stopped himself from going into full gallop and settled for speed walking. 

Once they had made it back to the suite and he had stubbornly refused any help, just walked into the bedroom and closed the door, he was left with what he had thought was the easy part. Ten minutes in he had decided that incendiary potions were easier to make than this soul crushing stand. 

An hour in he was positive the store had been a creation of his father's. There was no way anything could have created that warehouse monstrosity and cursed merchandise that didn't come from the bowels of hell.

Two hours in he was debating getting those incendiary potions and putting him and the stand out of their misery. Pure stubbornness kept him going.

Three hours in he was living off nothing but spite. Spite was what kept him going when he found he was short several bolts. The tirade of British and American swear words, courtesy of Marco that he had picked up from, caused enough of a commotion to have Cassie dare to stick her head in. She had made herself scarce at minute 11.

Three hours twenty minutes and one tirade later he decided to say "fuck it" and make do without them.

He was now at hour four and stood in front of the stand, that leaned precariously to one side, and felt nothing but murderous contempt for it and everything in his immediate surroundings. The three extra pieces of wood lay at his feet that no amount of engineering or geometry could convince him belonged anywhere on that wooden hellspawn. 

It all came back to his father. It had to.

As he stood there blinded by impotent but unceasing rage, a soft voice called out carefully from the door. "Pritkin?" Cassie said "Is it safe to come in?".

He didn't trust himself to speak. He was laser focused on how he would obliterate that which dared to mock him in all its plywood glory. Those few kicks having only splintered the cabinet drawers. 

He felt a small hand going into his left one at his side, his right still occupied with trying to grind the metal tool that came with the shelf into dust.

"Hey, Pritkin..... why don't we get you into the shower? Would that be ok? Would you like that?" Cassie sweetly asked him in a quiet voice pulling gently at his hand. 

With a slightly stronger tug she began pulling him away towards the bathroom. It was several tugs and steps later before he finally turned his head away from his nemesis and allowed himself to be properly guided towards his escape.

"Yes. That... that might be for the best." Pritkin said in a monotone, look straight ahead. 

Cassie looked up at him and gently put a hand against his cheek. "Good. Because once you're done we need to go back and get another one. You wrecked that one." With that she pushed him into the bathroom and slammed the door behind him before he could respond. "You have ten minutes!" came a yell through the door as Cassie made a quick retreat out the room.

John just stood there for a moment, devoid of any emotion, before mechanically peeling his clothes off and stepping into the shower. Maybe he hadn't escaped the curse he thought, maybe this was just a new version of hell they had stuck him in. Maybe...maybe. He turned on the water and contemplated his life and the choices that got him here, the tiny metal wrench still grasped tightly in his hand.


End file.
